Today is our fourth day of the program in Ukraine, and so far we are very excited from a European perspective to discover a few of the initiatives that Ukraine, and specifically Kiev, have to offer. A prominent theme that struck us that seemed to link all of the initiatives today, was how Ukrainian citizens rebuilt and reinvented public space post-Euromaidan revolution, which happened in 2013 on the central square of Kiev (Maidan square).
Although Ukraine experienced other revolutions prior to the Euromaidan, this last one particularly shook up old structures and belief systems in the country. This unfortunately left Ukraine split down the middle, with the more pro-European side to the West, and the more pro-Russian side to the East. As a country still defining it’s identity, and deciding what to keep of its Soviet history, and what to adopt in order to become more ‘European’, it is an interesting development to observe.
De-communisation came up quite often in discussions. It was implemented two years ago by the Ukrainian government in order for the country to distance itself from its Soviet past. We discussed to what extent art should be destroyed simply because it came from a certain period, and represents a certain ideology.
The first place we visited was the Velotrack, which was an old Olympics velodrom stadium, which was partially functional until 2004, when it was left to become more and more decrepit, so developers would eventually be able to build on top of it. No longer being in use for almost a decade, Ukraine lost a lot of the traditions and future possible athletes linked to the sport. The Maidan revolution was a catalyst to bring life back into the stadium, despite developers having other plans for the space. An ex-velodrom Olympian and other engaged citizens eventually managed to clean up the space, and with enough media attention, to regain control and access of it, in order to turn it, once more, into a functioning Velodrom track, but this time accessible to all.
The people behind the Velotrack are also linked to the Kiev Cyclist Association, which tries to lobby for better infrastructure for cyclists, as well as giving courses to beginners. The space is also friendly and accessible to disabled people, who have very limited access to public spaces and activities in Kiev.
After having a wonderful traditional Ukrainian lunch at cafe Yaroslava, we moved on to a very prominent non-profit organization in Kiev, called Agents of Change, or ‘Agenti Zmin’ in Ukrainian. This young designers’ initiative also started after the Maidan revolution, out of a need to address problems in infrastructure in Kiev, and the country as a whole. They took on projects, which from a Western perspective, would be expected from the state. But considering the significant problem of corruption and lack of transparency in state institutions in Ukraine, activists and change makers still prefer to go through other avenues, rather than work in cooperation with the government. Some of their projects included creating street signs with new Ukrainian sounding street names, replacing the old soviet ones in Kiev, as well as re-designing the Kiev metro map, with english transliterations, as well as creating interactive boards inside the metro cars.
We then arrived to our final destination, which was located right next to the infamous Maidan square. The Mistosad, or the ‘heaven of the hundred’ garden, was first created in memory of the protesters that died on Maidan square during the war. The space was next to a transfer zone, where bodies would be evacuated from the square. Instead of turning the space into a gloomy memorial, a group of active citizens decided to turn it into a public garden, honoring the fallen through life and joy, instead of sadness. The space is full of fruit and flowers in bloom, as well as spaces for children to play. The most notable part of the garden, is the huge mural, created by street artist Vhils, who looked at the photographs of the 100 fallen for inspiration, and finally decided on Serhiy Nigoyan, one of the first protesters to die from fatal gunshot wounds on the barricades. The artist allegedly stated that through the eyes of this young 19 year old man, he saw the eyes of the other victims. The mural is a haunting and beautiful tribute to a courageous fight for self-determination.
We ended the program for the day with time for reflection – the first real discussion we made time for so far. It was great to hear how everyone was processing all that we’ve experienced the last few days and share, dissect and build our points of view together. When thinking about the creation of public space, some key considerations were highlighted by the group, namely, the need for evidence-based strategies and iteration (i.e. the ability to adapt or rework as needed). The need for citizens to stand up and claim the right to the city was also discussed, as many people, especially it seems in post-communist societies, are not aware that the right is theirs to take. We also discussed the various reasons public space is reclaimed. It was noted that sometimes it is purely for historic reasons and that that is a worthy cause in itself.
We then all went off in different directions, enjoying our few rare hours of spare time, some going to relax in the hostel, others checking out exhibitions, and a group of us (Timo, Christine, Julie) went to see one of Kiev’s most famous attractions: the Kiev Pechersk Lavra also known as the Kiev Monastery of the Caves . This is a vast and picturesque complex, comprising of a charming park filled with many churches and caves, where the mummies of numerous saints are buried. There are also sources of holy water, which the locals seemed very attached to. A young Ukrainian couple (Oksana and Vladimir) kindly showed us around, while Orthodox monks and priests, as well as tourists, passed us by.
We all planned to meet at the train station by 10pm for our night train to Lviv. Per usual, many of us were late, but! Cheers to no one missing the actual train! We bought snacks and lots of water and loaded in to our 4-person cabins for the almost 7 hour train ride. After a couple hours of laughs and excitement, we settled in to our bunks for a good nights rest.
We woke up in Lviv, ready for the second part of our Ukraine adventure! Looking forward to small town fun, video editing and a good wrap-up to this amazing exchange!
xoxo
Samie & Julie
Take Part // Bring Change 